SB Nation - Christian Ballard

All-Big Ten Awards Announced, Swept Once Again By Toto

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:45 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

about 1 month ago: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Northwestern won 17-10. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

View full size photo »

Good news, everyone!* The Big Ten announced its picks for the all-conference teams. Naturally, the offensive and defensive player of the year are both Terrelle Pryor. Okay, not true; he's not even honorable mention.

But there's plenty of actual good news. First, the devil media named Kirk Ferentz coach of the year, and here he is reminding them that they can go suck it and he hasn't forgiven them for the slights of the regular season.

Such language, Kirk!

As for the players, here's the link to the voting results. The media named Bryan Bulaga to the first team on offense, while the second team featured four of his friends from the line: Rafael Eubanks, Dace Richardson, Kyle Calloway, and Tony Moeaki.

On defense, the first team had a little more Iowa representation; Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, and Tyler Sash all received their no-brainer merits. On the second team, Brett Greenwood and Amari Spievey. Iowa put eight players on the media's honorable mention team: Ryan Donahue, Broderick Binns, A.J. Edds, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Karl Klug, Daniel Murray, Adam Robinson, and Ricky Stanzi.

Not surprisingly, the coaches had a slightly higher opinion of the Hawkeyes; here's the link to their voting results. Bryan Bulaga was named their offensive lineman of the year(!!!), an award the media doesn't give out. Bulaga is joined on the first team by Moeaki and Richardson, both of which are worthy selections. Calloway and Eubanks didn't make the second team--not sure why on Calloway--but Derrell Johnson-Koulianos snuck in on a three-player tie for second-team WR.

On defense, the coaches agreed with the media in putting Sash, Clayborn, and Angerer on the first team roster. They also added Amari Spievey; as coaches, they're more likely to know that the reason Spievey didn't have a ton of picks wasn't that he's not good at football, but that there's just no hope in throwing at him; Spievey was a machine this season, and we're starting to lose hope that he's got more than one game left in an Iowa uniform. A.J. Edds is the lone Hawkeye on the defensive second team.

For honorable mention, it's as follows:Christian Ballard, Kyle Calloway, Ryan Donahue, Brent Greenwood, Karl Klug, and Adam Robinson.

Full All-BXI teams and a few thoughts are after the break.

MEDIA

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	JOHN CLAY, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Tandon Doss, Indiana	Blair White, Michigan State
WR	Keith Smith, Purdue	Zeke Markshausen, Northwestern
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa
G	Justin Boren, Ohio State	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Dace Richardson, Iowa
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Kyle Calloway, Iowa
T	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin	Dennis Landolt, Penn State
TE	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin	Tony Moeaki, Iowa
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan State	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Jared Odrick, Penn State
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	GREG JONES, Michigan State	Josh Hull, Penn State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Brent Greenwood, Iowa
DB	Donovan Warren, Michigan	Amari Spievey, Iowa
DB	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern	Brad Phillips, Northwestern
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

COACHES

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	John Clay, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Eric Decker, Minnesota	Tandon Doss, Indiana*
WR	Blair White, Michigan State	Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa* Keith Smith, Purdue*
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa* Joel Nitchman, Michigan State*
G	Dace Richardson, Iowa	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Justin Boren, Ohio State
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Rodger Saffold, Indiana
T	Dennis Landolt, Penn State	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
TE	Tony Moeaki, Iowa	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Jared Odrick, Penn State	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa Linebacker	A.J. Edds, Iowa
LB	Greg Jones, Michigan State	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Donovan Warren, Michigan*
DB	Amari Spievey, Iowa	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern*
DB	Brad Phillips, Northwestern	Brandon King, Purdue*
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue* Jay Valai, Wisconsin*
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Okay. While we're quite happy that Bulaga got such high accolades for the season, we can't be alone in thinking that he was hardly the best lineman in Iowa City, much less the Big Ten. He was either on the sidelines or out of sorts for the majority of the season, and we still haven't seen the elephant-tusk-covered road grader from last season on display. He totally would have deserved a preseason OL of the year, but his performance over 2009 didn't merit such superlatives.

This is hardly a new development from these postseason lists, however; generally, the lists are crafted off of the preseason lists, and anybody whose knee blew out with more than four games left was excised and replaced by someone else. After all, Bulaga was only a second-team All-BXI player last season, even though he was by far the best lineman on the team in 2008. Seth Olsen, meanwhile, had the good fortune to be a first-teamer to start the year, so he was on the first team after 2008, despite a relatively blah senior campaign; we'd have put him about fourth on the list of Iowa linemen for 2009, behind the two bookends at tackle and Rob Bruggeman at center.

Essentially, Bulaga won the award in 2009 for his play in 2008.

At the end of the day, this comes down to stats; there aren't any for linemen, despite the ill-fated attempt to get the "pancake" introduced about a decade ago (for this, we blame Orlando Pace). It's assumed that linemen are sure things, and that as long as they stay healthy, the narrative has stayed true. After all, without stats, most scribes have no time (or no idea) how to watch linemen individually.

Frankly, though it's a subjective stat, we'd love to see how linemen grade out per play (remember that Blake Larsen famously graded at 100% during his senior season at Atlantic; lord, had those knees survived...) Without having the means to undertake such an activity ourselves, we'd imagine that if you graded each Iowa offensive lineman, Kyle Calloway or Dace Richardson would probably be at the top.

If they're not, which is possible, then it would probably be the guy who didn't even get an honorable mention: Riley Reiff. He was stout in relief of Bulaga--hell, we're pretty sure O'Brien Schofield would not have batted Reiff around like a catnip mouse, unlike some Iowa linemen--and he basically forced his way into the starting lineup even before Big Dace went down. But since he wasn't even a projected starter, to say nothing of a preseason honoree, Reiff didn't have much of a chance for postseason mention. Shame, really; dude is legit, and he hasn't even filled out his frame yet.

As for the skill players, it's a little disappointing that Stanzi only made one honorable mention team. But we get how that can happen. Spievey only making second team in the media is flatly ridiculous. If he'd put together that same season in an Ohio State uniform, he'd be getting All-American talk.

Other than that, we don't have a ton of beef; Stanzi killed himself by leading the conference in interceptions when he went down to injury, and the rest of the offensive skill players were far too inconsistent or hurt to merit much consideration. Jeremiha Hunter not getting any honorable mention love is a little disconcerting, but the BXI was lo-ho-hoaded at linebacker this season; we're not quite sure whom we'd place him above. He'll get some love in 2010 if he stays healthy. Also--given the play of Jeff Tarpinian in relief--if Hunter stays healthy between now and next September, there's no position battle at weakside backer next season, right?

So, all in all, a fair list, even if the voting on offensive linemen is basically a year behind schedule. It's a year behind for everyone else, after all. Anybody else that you folks think got shafted? Did Marvin McNutt deserve a nod, or is he still a year away from recognition?

*/Farnsworth'd

Two Years Ago Today...

RossWB — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:07:59 -0000

Worst. Senior Day. Ever.

Funny how much can change in just two years. Two years ago today the Iowa football team suffered arguably its worst -- or most humiliating, at least -- defeat of the last decade. Oh, there have been more lopsided defeats and there have probably even been defeats to teams worse than the 2007 Western Michigan Broncos (who were a pretty middling outfit). Many of those defeats happened during the formative years of Kirk Ferentz's tenure, when his Iowa teams played hard but frequently lacked talent and/or experience. Or they happened against bitter in-state rivals or hyper-motivated conference rivals, so it was easy to rationalize the loss by saying "they wanted it more."

But the November 17, 2007 loss to Western Michigan didn't fit any of those easy categories. It was far from the most talented or most experienced squads of the Ferentz Era, but it wasn't completely lacking in those departments, either. It featured Albert Young and Damian Sims, who had been a dynamite combination in years past. The defensive front seven was pretty well-stocked with talent and experience, too, between Kenny Iwebema, Mitch King, Matt Kroul, Bryan Mattison, Mike Klinkenborg, and Mike Humpal. It wasn't as if the team had nothing to play for, either -- beyond the standard pride of Senior Day, they needed one more win to ensure themselves a trip to a bowl game (Western Michigan didn't even have that to play for; they were just acting as spoilers).

Defeat and misery that week wasn't exclusive to the action on the field, either. The week of November 17, 2007 also saw the first news reports of a sexual assault involving Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield. Eight months later those reports would explode into a nightmarish scandal that threatened to paint Kirk Ferentz, the athletic department, and the University of Iowa administration as badly negligent and aloof at best and guilty of conspiracy and obstruction of justice at worst; it made Iowa football the leading example of "Programs Gone Wild." That was two years ago.

Today, it seems like a lifetime ago. On the field, Iowa went from a team that was pushed around by Western Michigan to a team that was a play or two away from beating Ohio State in Columbus, winning the Big Ten title, and going to the Rose Bowl for the first time in nearly two decades. That's a pretty remarkable transformation. (The fact that they did it with a team that was ravaged by injuries and missing most of its offensive leaders is even more astounding.) Could you have ever envisioned such a quick turnaround? Many of the guys who have emerged as leaders and key performers on this team were blooded in the painful slog of 2007, like Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard, A.J. Edds, and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. The transformation of DJK is a great example of Iowa's turnaround in general. My enduring memory of him from the Western Michigan game is of him seemingly quitting on a play and talking to some fans in the end zone while a Bronco defensive back was running back an interception. My enduring memories of him from the Ohio State game will be of multiple clutch catches and, of course, of the rally-igniting 99-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter when hope was slipping away. He's gone from a talented but raw and sometimes immature talent to an extremely reliable target in the passing game and an explosive playmaker in general.

Yes, he's totally checking out his runback on the Jumbotron.

But many of the top performers in 2009 would have never been predicted back in 2007. Pat Angerer, arguably the heart and soul of the 2009 defense, nearly quit football in 2007 after dealing with a serious of injuries and illnesses. Amari Spievey, one of the best cornerbacks in the conference in 2009, had washed out of Iowa in 2007 thanks to an inability to go to class. Brett Greenwood was, well, EPIC GREENWOOD back then; now he's a guy everyone was relieved to see take the field against the Buckeyes. The other defensive secondary spots were manned by the much-maligned Harold Dalton and the combination of Adam Shada (victim of the third indignity suffered by the Iowa football team that day/week, which was the betrayal of the Iowa fanbase as expressed through the boos directed at him) and Bradley Fletcher (who was burned more than a charcoal briquette back then) and there didn't seem to be much hope of better players in the program if they were the best we could send out there. (A year later, of course, Dalton was quickly replaced by Tyler "Motherfucking" Sash and Fletcher transformed himself into an NFL draft pick.)

Offensively, Iowa went from having one of the worst offenses in football in 2007 to having... well, a more timely offense, at least. Statistically, it's still not very good in most respects, but the ability of the 2009 Iowa team to come through in the clutch is almost unprecedented among other Ferentz Era teams. The 2007 team lost a pair of games in the fourth quarter (at Wisconsin and at Iowa State); the 2009 team has come from behind in the fourth quarter in four of its wins this year (and came from behind to send the game OT last weekend). A few of the faces remain the same from 2007 -- DJK, Tony Moeaki, Bryan Bulaga, Rafael Eubanks (to name a few) -- but experience and maturity have improved their performances tremendously.

Marvin McNutt owns the slant route and don't you ever forget it.

Since that loss to Western Michigan, Iowa has gone 18-6. That run has included a pair of upset wins over top-five teams (Penn State, twice), a program-best 9-0 start this year, wins over every Big Ten team but three (Ohio State, Illinois, and -ugh- Northwestern), a rare win over Iowa State in Ames, a 55-0 demolition of Minnesota in the final Gopher game ever played in the Metrodome, a dominant Outback Bowl victory, and perhaps more come-from-behind wins than in all the other years of the Ferentz Era combined. And while all six of those losses have been painful in their own way, there's something to be said of the competitive spirit that's been on display in all of them as well. The 2007 Western Michigan game was the fourth game that year that Iowa lost by nine or more points -- none of the six subsequent losses have been by more than seven points.

The journey of 2009 is far from over -- a 10-win season is still in our grasp, there's some Gophers to destroy, a big bronze pig to keep, and a bowl game somewhere warm to win -- but on this day, the anniversary of one of the darkest and most depressing moments in recent Iowa football history, it's worth taking a moment to stop and think about how far we've already come in such a short period of time. The pain of losing the de facto Big Ten Championship Game to Ohio State stings, but it feels a hell of a lot better than the ache of losing to Western Michigan and being lost in the college football wilderness.

Kenny bled to get that pig back, man. Floyd is ours, dammit.

The Big Ten at the Midpoint (Part 2 of 3)

Bama Hawkeye — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:45:09 -0000

We've made it through six weeks of the college football season. For everyone but Illinois (who moved a non-conference game to the end of their schedule), we're halfway home. Here at The Rivalry, Esq., it's a perfect time to step back and assess what we have seen so far. So, in 11 questions, let's analyze what we know about the Big Ten.

Here's Part I and Part III of the midpoint assessment.

The Rivalry, Esq. Asks:

Who is the offensive player of the year in the Big Ten at the halfway point?

Law Buckeye Answers:

Although there's no clear standout, my vote goes to running back John Clay at Wisconsin. Clay leads a league defined by ground gains in rushing. Halfway through the season he's amassed 641 yards (4.8 yards a carry, 106.83 yards a game), meaning he'll easily be a 1,000 yard plus rusher this season. At 6-2, 247 pounds, Clay's plodding, brutal presence between the tackles has opened up the passing lanes for quarterback Scott Tolzien, resulting in the most balanced offense in the Big Ten (1204 yards rushing, 1130 yards passing).

Counterpoint: Clay struggled last week at Ohio State, managing just 59 yards on 20 carries.

Honorable Mentions: Daryll Clark (QB, Penn State), Joey Elliott (QB, Purdue), Mike Kafka (QB, Northwestern), Evan Royster (RB, Penn State).

The Rivalry, Esq. Asks:

Who is the defensive player of the year in the Big Ten at the halfway point?

Graham Filler Answers:

Brian Rolle (LB) Ohio State.

After the USC game, I called Law Buckeye and asked him who #36 was. "Oh that's Brian Rolle," I was told, "he's fast." This Florida product is the leader of the Big Ten's best defense. His speed and instincts have helped slow the power run games of Wisconsin and USC.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Hull, LB, Penn State. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa. Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa. Pat Angerer, LB, Iowa. Amari Spievey, CB, Iowa. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan. O'Brien Schofield, DE, Wisconsin.

The Rivalry, Esq. Asks:

What is the status of the Penn State offensive line at the halfway point of the season?

Bama Hawkeye Answers:

It's a work in progress, but I definitely emphasize the progress. Look, through the first six weeks of the season, Penn State has faced one legitimate defense. Part of that was the design of Penn State's non-conference schedule. Part of that was the luck of facing the dysfunctional Zook family early in the season. But if you look at the line's play from each cupcake to the next, progress was made. Yes, I think they'll have trouble with the Ohio State front seven. That doesn't mean they're a bad line - everyone had/will have trouble with Ohio State's defense.

The real test begin this week with Minnesota. Minnesota has an average Big Ten defense with an average Big Ten defensive line. If Penn State can run the ball with success, if Darryl Clark can have time to set his feet and throw, if the line can take over the fourth quarter of the game, we'll know that they're coming back.

This offseason when I wrote about the danger of an inexperienced offensive line, I didn't mention one important factor. It's this: if that line has the talent and the coaching, they will be substantially better by the end of the season than they will at the beginning. I think we're going to see that from Penn State.

The Rivalry, Esq. Asks:

What is a realistic expectation for Northwestern's final record?

Hmlee Answers:

Taking off my lavender glasses, I'm going to put Northwestern's final record at 7-5 going into the bowls. To some, that may still seem overly optimistic, as they really only have two likely wins left on their schedule, in tangos with the queso portion of the conference, Indiana and Illinois. Two weeks ago my realistic expectations would have agreed with that assessment. Lately, though, I have seen the defense play like the 2008 edition I thought we were going to be getting this season. Yes, it was against Purdue and Miami of OH (who, were they in the Big 10, wouldn't even qualify for the queso bowl... take that Graham and Jon). If the defense continues to play like that, they could easily catch one of the better teams in the conference napping. There's also always schizophrenic Sparty who, though they look to be improving, could very easily drop this week's game in East Lansing. 7-5 is still deeply disappointing to me as a fan. I set 8 wins as my rock bottom threshold for happiness, so, barring extraordinary circumstances, this bowl season will not be a fun one for my NU side.

The Rivalry, Esq. Asks:

After four games, do you think that TCF Bank Stadium has provided the Gophers with a greater homefield advantage than the Metrodome did?

Jerdogg1 Answers:

My opinion is that it's a bit premature to say that The Bank gives the Gophers a homefield advantage because the team is just 2-2 playing there so far. Having said that, however, I do think it gives them a greater advantage than the Dome did. I think it certainly is an advantage to the team because the fans are more excited, there is an actual college atmosphere, and I would think that has to carry over to the players. I certainly don't think that there is anything shameful in our two losses (Cal and Wisky), but I do believe that Wisconsin was a very beatable team and that we did a lot to hand the Badgers that win. That would not have happened if we had a true homefield advantage. Of course, some might argue that the way we played we shouldn't even have kept it as close as it was (on the scoreboard), and that the homefield advantage helped. I can see that, but I'm nowhere near being ready to say that The Bank is a difficult place for other teams to play... which is what a true homefield advantage is.

Christian Ballard Will Knock You Out

RossWB — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:34:16 -0000

There were many fantastic plays in the 21-10 demolition of Penn State last week, but the absolute hammering that Christian Ballard delivered to an unsuspecting Penn State dude on Pat Angerer's interception return may have been my second-favorite of the night (after Adrian Clayborn's infuckingcredible punt block and score). If you haven't seen it yet (look at the top half of the image):

(H/T to N8dogg99 on Hawkeye Report)

BOOM motherfucker indeed.

I don't know if I've seen an Iowa guy hit someone that hard since Marshal Yanda absolutely erased an Iowa State guy on a block in 2006. Ballard hit him so damn hard his own helmet flew off.

That play, and all your other highlight needs from 21-10 can also be satisfied by this highlight video:

We Own....PennState - Sick Puppies (via KChawkeye02)

(or, if you want the Linkin Park version, click here)

Tougher Than the Rest

Bama Hawkeye — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:50:29 -0000

In 2003, after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes for the second straight season, one of the defensive linemen for the Michigan Wolverines (and it kills me that I can't find the man's name) made a fantastic statement about the Hawks. "I hate playing them, " he said. "They're the bullies of the Big Ten."

All that I could think as I watched Iowa's front seven push around Penn St. for the last three quarters of Saturday Night's game, was that the Bullies were back. As Kirk Herbstreit correctly noted during the broadcast, when Coach Ferentz has had his best teams, it's been seasons when the line play has been dominant. It's beginning to look like this is one of those years.

What follows is a look at some of the pretty amazing things that these Bullies of the Big Ten have been doing.

Here are five fun stats for you:

Only one team in college football has defeated a Top 5 ranked opponent in each of the last two seasons. The Iowa Hawkeyes.
Only one team in college football has won three games (with two of them on the road) against BCS conference opponents this season. The Iowa Hawkeyes.
Penn State, Arizona, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa - the four teams that Iowa has defeated this season - have a combined record of 12-4. That's right; the only team that each has lost to has been the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Penn State scored the last rushing touchdown against Iowa - in the third quarter of their game last year. That equates to more than 7 games (435 minutes and 29 seconds to be precise) without allowing a rushing touchdown.
Penn State dominated the first quarter of the game, holding the ball for more than 11 minutes and scoring in the two most excruciating ways. Long bomb? Check. Long drive? Check. However, over the last three quarters of the game, Iowa had the ball for 27:45. Penn State had it for only 17:15.

The defense has been awesome. Amari Spievey has developed into the best corner of the Ferentz era. The safeties, especially Tyler Sash, can ballhawk with the best of them. The linebackers seem to be in on every play. And the defensive line...do you remember that coming into the season, this was the question mark on the Iowa defense? As OPS noted at Black Heart Gold Pants:

There isn't a single starter on the line that didn't affect the game in a big way. Broderick Binns? 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and consecutive ownings of DeOn'tae Pannell that led to an Iowa safety (this sealed Pannell's fate; he was benched shortly thereafter).Christian Ballard? Probably the most consistent resident of the PSU backfield, and he tipped the last INT to A.J. Edds, effectively ending Penn State's hopes. Karl Klug? Multiple big plays, not the least of which was recovering a Penn State fumble in Iowa territory in the fourth quarter... a good 30-40 yards or so from his spot on the field at the snap. And Adrian Clayborn? Oh, only two tackles and O HAI GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN K THANX. Among the four, they badgered their linemen, the PSU backs, and Daryll Clark into enough miscues that when it came time to reclaim the lead, the Penn State offense really had no chance down the stretch.

Further--not that removing data is a great way to bolster your point, but bear with us for one second--excepting the 79-yard bomb to Chaz Powell, and combining lost fumbles and INTs into a generic turnover stat, here's an average of what the last 3 starting QBs have accomplished against the Iowa defense: 8-22, 83 yards, 0 TD, 3 TO.

So where can this Iowa team go from here? As every prognosticator and broadcaster has been contractually required to mention, Iowa faces the hardest road schedule in the Big Ten. They have to travel to Madison, where they'll meet a rejuvenated Badger squad. They have to travel to Michigan State, in a series where the home team has won every game since 1995. They have to travel to The Ohio State University, to face a team that they have beaten four times since LBJ became President. To put that in perspective, Iowa has more Big Ten titles than victories over Ohio State since 1963. The home schedule looks more manageable, which is more of a statement about the road trio awaiting than the home games against Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana, and Minnesota. So yes, the two-thirds of the road that remains looks difficult.

But if you think that Ricky Stanzi and his receivers can play better than they have, you could do worse than to think that Iowa may just win this thing. But if you see the running game starting to take shape, you could see the Hawks becoming more dangerous. But if you believe that defense wins championships, you could do worse than to believe in Iowa.

The Takeaway: Penn State

Oops Pow Surprise — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

2 months ago: In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Penn State running back Evan Royster, left, is taken down by Iowa defenders Pat Angerer, center, and Karl Klug, right, during the first half of their NCAA football game in State College, Pa. Iowa's defense handed the Nittany Lions their first loss for the second-straight season. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Browse more photos »

Sure, Iowa just choked out Penn State, 21-10. But how much do we really know? What was really important about beating Penn State? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.

Goodbye, Kroul and Unusual Punishment; hello, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Good merciful heavens, the defensive line: There isn't a single starter on the line that didn't affect the game in a big way. Broderick Binns? 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and consecutive ownings of DeOn'tae Pannell that led to an Iowa safety (this sealed Pannell's fate; he was benched shortly thereafter). Christian Ballard? Probably the most consistent resident of the PSU backfield, and he tipped the last INT to A.J. Edds, effectively ending Penn State's hopes. Karl Klug? Multiple big plays, not the least of which was recovering a Penn State fumble in Iowa territory in the fourth quarter... a good 30-40 yards or so from his spot on the field at the snap. And Adrian Clayborn? Oh, only two tackles and O HAI GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN K THANX. Between the four, they badgered their linemen, the PSU backs, and Daryll Clark into enough miscues that when it came time to reclaim the lead, the Penn State offense really had no chance down the stretch.

This is, of course, to take nothing from the back 7. Where do you want to start? Amari Spievey atoning for his first-play scorching with more lights-out tackling and coverage? Shaun Prater for baiting Clark into a bad interception with the Nittany Lions in field goal range? Defensive player of the week Pat Angerer for his 14 tackles, pick--and its 38-yard return that set up Iowa's only offensive TD--and forced fumble? And didn't it seem like Jeremiha Hunter (12 tackles) was in on just about every play--especially those near the line of scrimmage? In fact...

Good merciful heavens, the entire defense: It's hard to think so after watching the UNI near-disaster, but might this defensive unit be even better than the epic 2002 and 2003 units? Not to overstate the obvious, but think of this: there's no good way to attack them.

Experts don't even recommend punting as a safe deterrent.

You want to pass? Great; here's the last three starting quarterbacks to challenge the Iowa secondary: 26-68, 1 TD, 327 yards, 8 INT. Further--not that removing data is a great way to bolster your point, but bear with us for one second--excepting the 79-yard bomb to Powell, and combining lost fumbles and INTs into a generic turnover stat, here's an average of what the last 3 starting QBs have accomplished against the Iowa defense: 8-22, 83 yards, 0 TD, 3 TO. You can add decimals if you need to, but whatever.

Then there's the run game. As Bellanca has noted multiple times, the game that started this win streak--last year's win over PSU--is also the last game in which Iowa has given up a rushing touchdown. Often, as with Minnesota and ISU, teams never come close. This game was no exception.

The reason? Defensive tenacity, and that absolutely must be a product of good, hard practicing. It's why even as Royster had gotten to the corner on a stretch play for a first down, the Iowa defenders didn't panic, instead poking the ball away and fielding it cleanly (not to put too fine a point on it, but the distance between Klug's spot at the snap and where he recovered the ball is about a 40-yard run away; that he was right there to be the first man to make the play is no accident). Yes, they gave up a 20-play drive in the first quarter, but look at it another way; PSU had to run 20 plays just to get 68 yards, and they only got three points for that effort. It was their last drive of over 40 yards for the game. In fact, one would think this Iowa team is unstoppable, except...

Good grief, the offense: Look, Ricky Stanzi did go 11-26 with two picks, but that included only about 1 1/5 Stanziballs and about 8 instances of receivers going Full Herb Grigsby. You never go Full Herb Grigsby. We can bitch about Paul Chaney Jr. dropping a 3rd down slant route or balls sailing off other receivers' hands, but what good does it do? Hell, Colin Sandeman literally kicked a dropped pass over to a Penn State player. How does that even happen?! In fact, you'd rarely think this when looking at a 11-26, 2 INT stat line in a crucial road game, but Ricky Stanzi actually took a big step forward in maintaining his discipline and composure. We wouldn't believe it if we didn't see it, either.

No offense, Mr. Robinson, but you're only in these pictures by accident.

That said, though, it's really obvious this offense hasn't had much cohesion thus far. If we were to ask you at the beginning of June what Iowa's record would be coming out of Happy Valley if the rocks of consistency thus far on the offensive line were Dace Richardson and Rafael Eubanks, you'd probably say 2-2, 3-1 with some luck. Then you'd shoot us in the face for the crimes of witchcraft and aggravated pessimism. Then let's toss in injuries to DJK, Jewel Hampton, Jeff Brinson, and Tony Moeaki. Y'know, just for good measure. It's downright miraculous that Stanzi hasn't bought a sword for decorative purposes; at that point, you may as well have written James Vandenberg in with a ballpoint pen.

Our point is this: the offense was pretty bad against Penn State. The problem wasn't three-and-outs, mind you; there was only one of those, and it came on that dropped slant route we mentioned earlier. In fact, a full five drives ended in Penn State territory in the first half alone; Iowa had three offensive points to show for them. That is wasted opportunity, and a situation that an average defense usually cannot rectify.

The solution, then, is health and/or consistency. Either Iowa gets back the guys it expected to start during summer practice, or the second-stringers become part of the first unit just so the same 11 guys can start practicing together. Give credit to Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher for combining for over 200 yards from scrimmage, but without a more productive offense as a whole, Iowa could in major trouble against tough defenses.

That all said, this is one of the great post-Evashevski Iowa wins. While you only need to look back to that fateful night in Kinnick last season for the last time Iowa knocked off a top 5 team, you'll have to go back to 1990 to find a similar performance on the road; that was at #5 Illinois. There, Nick Bell demolished an entire team en route to a decidedly non-fluky victory. Here, it was the Iowa defense's front seven doing the trick. There, Iowa parlayed it into the team's last trip to Pasadena, touching off a nearly 20-year drought (yes, 2002 should have broken that, but... y'know). Here, can Iowa similarly parlay a big-time road win to big-time bowl glory? No pressure or anything.

The "I" stands for "Fuck You."

(All images credited to Matthew Holst of the Press-Citizen)

The Takeaway: Northern Iowa

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:46:00 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

3 months ago: Northern Iowa running back Carlos Anderson (1) is tackled by Iowa's Pat Angerer, left, and A.J. Edds, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won 17-16. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Sure, Iowa just beat UNI, 17-16. But how much do we really know? What was really important about Iowa winning? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.

Your pulse rate should be getting back to double digits sometime Tuesday. Suffice it to say, that's one of the most bizarre, unusual ends to a game that we've ever seen. It would have qualified as such even if UNI had gotten the second kick off cleanly, made or missed. Like, that would have been a much more compelling result, in our eyes. But regardless, that's the first time in D-I history that a team has blocked a field goal on consecutive snaps; that the plays ended a 1-point game might be so fantastically surreal that it's harder to contextualize it among anything else, be it football games or even life experiences. It's like seeing a UFO. Like... what the hell are you ever going to compare that to?

But it was a close win all the same, and that's a good thing; before the PSU win last year, Iowa had, what, nine straight losses in games decided by 3 points or fewer? So aside from the fact that it was a (damned fine) I-AA school, the fact that Iowa just won their second straight close game is a positive development. Or it just means they're reverting to the mean, whatever.

Just do it already: We got flashes of quite a bit out there yesterday. Keenan Davis looks athletic, Marvin McNutt's got some good hands, and the rest of the receiving corps are known quantities (and good, at that) and healthy. Yet at the same time, the offense sputtered. It's pretty obvious that the team needs a talented option at tailback, and though Robinson's the closest to that ideal, he's not good enough yet.

But just one play here or there qualifies as little more than a tease, and Iowa probably can't afford another raging case of blue balls and expect to keep up with ISU. There's got to be a payoff, and that means sustained drives getting into the end zone. They looked good at doing in in the second half after Pakiveli was shelved, but that ended up being barely enough.

Don't give me that "Ole" bullshit: This is what Norm Parker sees as he falls asleep after that game:

Okay, granted, that's if he falls asleep after taking several recreational drugs at once, but you get the picture.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the game was the poor tackling, especially from the linebacking position. We had considered A.J. Edds and Pat Angerer to contend for the title of heir apparent to the throne of RIdiculously Talented White Linebacker--previously held by Chad Greenway, of course--but their flailing, chasing performances were underwhelming, to say the least. Angerer was a little surerer in his tackling, but neither looked good in pass coverage. It's clearly not what we expected from the linebacking corps, and it appears to be a regression from 2008, even though the entre linebacking corps is back from last season. It doesn't make sense.

Bulls on Parade All-American lists: The consistency left something to be desired, but the defensive line showed the ability to wreak havoc on the UNI offensive line. Christian Ballard looks better at DT than we expected. We still feel like they're one or two bodies short of the 2001-2003 era of defensive lining.

The bottom line on the defense is this: they held UNI to 16 points. UNI has a relatively good offense. But Iowa's probably going to face--conservatively--5 or 6 better offenses over the course of the season. Since the offense hasn't yet demonstrated the ability to get involved in a shootout, this season could turn long and painful without the defense getting back to near-2008 levels.

Bucknotes states the obvious

Sam @ WWAHT — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Ohio State football: Season hinges on key players
Breaks the list down into "knowns" and "little-knowns". Why aren't the unknowns getting any love?

Evan Turner (TheVillain21) on Twitter
No, it's not actually Evan Turner. It's Mark Titus, being Mark Titus. Not quite news, but hilarious.

It's Alcorn State, not Florida International (Hoops & Scoops: an OSU basketball blog)
Ohio State's opening opponent on the court has changed to Steve McNair's alma mater. Following the game against Alcorn State, the Buckeyes will host James Madison before traveling to New York to play North Carolina.

2009 Bowl Projections - Preseason - The Rivalry, Esq.
The Rivalry Esq. puts Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Notre Dame in the Fiesta, and Penn State all the way down in the Alamo Bowl. Iowa and Illinois both make New Years' Day games.

Comparing the Online Recruiting Ranking Services - The Daily Gopher
Fun... with statistics! TDG evaluates EPSN, Rivals, and Scout's recruiting services and come to the conclusion that Rivals had the "best trendline" for ranking future NFL talent. Recruiting in general: still creepy.

Assume The Position 2009: Defensive Tackle - Black Heart Gold Pants
Last week, I sorta banked on Iowa not having a great set of DTs to follow up the team of Mitch King and Matt Kroul. The Hawkeyes got a needed injection of talent on the interior to go along with Karl Klug by moving Christian Ballard, a big, Cam Heyward-type DE to the inside. Fortunately, this still leaves a question mark at defensive end, and I prefer to focus on that, stick my index fingers in my ears, close my eyes and think of it no more.

LeBeau Named HOF Finalist by Seniors Committee | Eleven Warriors
I never understood how Dick LeBeau could be arguably the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history and such an awful head coach. Oh, right, he coached the Bengals. Silly me.

Rescue the Queen - Maize n Brew

I know these Evony advertisements have popped up here on WWAHT as well, and for that, I apologize. They're unbelievably sleazy, and they're a malware trap to boot. Don't click them. Don't be enticed by the boobage. Click the above link, however, for a bit of Evony-inspired Jim Tressel nightmare fuel.

Assume The Position 2009: Defensive Tackle

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:55:51 -0000

It's about that time again. For the next three weeks, BHGP will be previewing this year's Iowa Hawkeyes, position-by-position. Naturally, as the earth revolves around the sun, things will change. Therefore, we're starting with the position where we are most certain, and ending with the position of which we are least certain. To date:

1. Quarterback
2. Offensive Tackle
3. Safety
4. Linebacker
5. Tight End
6. Running Back
7. Defensive End
8. Special Teams
9. Cornerback

Today: Defensive Tackle

Hung. Like. This.

Well, that's that, isn't it? With the moderately unsurprising shift of Christian Ballard to defensive tackle--and really, it was either him or Clayborn, we just weren't sure who it'd be--the 2-deep on the interior defensive line shifted into place quite nicely. Let's do this.

The Definite Starter

Christian Ballard (#46, 6'5", 290, Junior) - Ballard appears to be the best suited to move to the inside, so that's where the man goes. We have a few concerns with how high he tends to play, but that's based on his body of work at DE, where it's more beneficial to play upright. No doubt, the coaches will be working on him getting lower when he's got A Gap responsibilities.

As for production, well, we'll see. Between Ballard's 2008 numbers (40 tackles, 3.5 TFL) and Kroul's numbers in the gap-stuffer DT role (57 tackles, 6.5 TFL), we expect Ballard to register something in the middle: 50 tackles, 5 TFL, ~3 sacks sounds right.

The Probable Starter

Karl Klug (#95, 6'4", 258, Junior) - If Klug's at or near 260 pounds, that's a positive development, because he's going to need all the size he can get against the road graders of the Big Ten. Still, in his limited play last season, he was a terrorforce, earning BXI DPOTW honors against FIU and making a couple big red-zone tackles against Penn State. Yes, fully half of his 18 tackles came against FIU, but registering 5 TFLs in 18 total tackles speaks volumes about Klug's disruptive abilities.

The Ballard move should benefit Klug the most. Teams will probably be much less likely to single-up on Ballard than Daniels, even if for no other reason than respect for Ballard's superior size. Three blockers can run right over Daniels and Klug. With Ballard and Klug, it's probably a fairer fight. So if Klug can keep from being buried on the interior and log about 60 snaps per game, Iowa's in good shape.

Should See the Field

Mike Daniels (#93, 6'1", 267, Sophomore) - Was atop the depth chart before Ballard made the shift, even though we all sort of knew that he wasn't actually going to get the lion's share of snaps at DT when the Hawks got down to business. Granted, the people in front of him on the depth chart in 2008 commanded the vast majority of the snaps, but it didn't seem like they put him on the field in a grooming role as much as you'd expect for a player who was bound to start the next season.

As a matter of fact, the only time we really heard about Daniels was when he momentarily collapsed on the Kinnick field after the Indiana game, but the chatter's a lot better now (not hard to do better than "scared us into thinking that he was dying," of course). Morehouse mentioned that Daniels had "the pad level of an armadillo" and there were other reports that Daniels was making the OL look silly in practice. Got to think he's the first man in for Klug on rotation duty, right?

Cody Hundertmark (#64, 6'4", 280, Sophomore) - Even if Hundertmark's healthy these days, he missed so much time with a shoulder injury that his development has to have been stunted quite a bit, and that's probably going to cost him a substantial amount of snaps this season. It's a shame, really, since if he'd kept bulking up and getting stronger (the latter's a little hard to do with a bum shoulder), he'd have been able to step up into the Kroul-esque role of a big gap-stuffer who keeps blockers off the LBs. Well, he's still only a sophomore.

Steve Bigach (#54, 6'3", 270, Freshman (RS)) - He's probably a year away from really making an impact, but he's already on the 2-deeps, so perhaps he's pushing the issue in his favor already. Bigach played basketball, track, and lacrosse in high school, so he's probably got good enough footwork for the trenches.

His highlight reel, which might not even be on GoHawks.com anymore (and we just can't be bothered to check, you see), indicated some of that athleticism - though he was hardly fluid, he moved efficiently--and hit harder than the death of a childhood pet. He's probably a 4-letter winner in the making.

Mop-Up Duty

Travis Meade (#61, 6'0", 285, Junior) - Oh yeah, this guy. Was entrusted with the starting LG job in 2007 for some reason, a disappointment that may very well scare Ferentz off from ever letting Meade on the field in a halfway-meaningful situation ever again.

But perhaps "Mop-Up Duty" is a bit harsh; Meade is stout enough that if Iowa needs a bowling ball in the middle to plug up a gap inside the 10 yard line, he might get a look. He's not on the 2-deeps and probably won't be making an appearance there barring disastrous circumstances, but of the mop-up crew, he's probably first in line.

Joe Forgy (#97, 6'4", 250, Sophomore) - A preferred walk-on from Ellsworth CC, and a native of Dows, IA. Dows is a horrible town that should be razed. Still, he was an honorable mention All-American for Ellsworth and he's got a big frame. Maybe he can put some pounds on and win a Next Man In award a couple years from now. Needs a damn haircut.

Luke Halstad (#90, 6'3", 265, Sophomore) - Slightly undersized kid from nearby. Iowa was only BCS school to offer, but coaches seemed high on him a couple years ago. Recruited as a LB/TE, but moved inside during redshirt year. Probably a year or two (and 20 pounds) away, but could see some goal-line duty. Classically trained cellist.

Thomas Nardo (#87, 6'3", 270, Sophomore) - A preferred walk-on who has seen no action thus far. But more importantly, his name is Thomas Nardo, a.k.a. Nard-Dog. He goes to Iowa; perhaps you've heard of it.

Redshirt Fodder

Scott Covert (6'2", 240, Freshman) - Not expected to play as he adds size and weight.

Tyler Harrell (6'3", 230, Freshman) - See Covert.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Is Talking About Practice. Not a Game. Practice.

Hawkeye State — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:19:26 -0000

Because Every Day is Kids Day. Some significant news out of Saturday's "Kids Day" open practice:

The Walking Wounded. Brace yourselves: Jewel Hampton's knee is bothering him again. Hampton didn't practice Saturday and, while he was in attendance and walking the sidelines with nothing more than a sleeve on the knee, Morehouse notes he wasn't moving well. We have yet to hear anyone claim Hampton will miss any playing time as a result of the injury, but this is the third time in 6 months that he's injured the same knee and missed practice time.

Now that you are sitting down, it's time for part 2: Bryan Bulaga didn't practice either (though he ran sprints), and Kyle Calloway didn't scrimmage (though he took part in pre-scrimmage drills). Bulaga hurt his knee earlier in the week, though it doesn't sound serious. Calloway has been out through most of camp with runner's knee; again, the injury probably isn't any more a threat to his playing time than a 6-pack and a scooter.

As if that wasn't enough, Brandon Wegher, Colin Sandeman, Chris Rowell, Steve Bigach, Marty Hopkins, Conor Boffeli, and Scott Covert didn't suit up. The first four of those are expected to play (Wegher is unofficially the frontrunner for kick and punt returner). The others aren't likely to factor into this season. Of course, one of the many things Kirk Ferentz took from his days with Belichick is notorious secrecy on the injury front; there isn't much information on any of these.

Fun With Depth Charts. Well, that was inevitable: Christian Ballard has moved to defensive tackle, making way for Broderick Binns to start at defensive end. This would be wholly unsurprising if defensive line coach Rick "Here Comes The Polish Cavalry" Kascenski hadn't lied to everyone for 6 months about the possibility of moving a defensive end to tackle. Expect the press to have a field day with this one, and by that I mean the press will participate in a 100-yard dash, then drink juice boxes provided by the coaching staff and watch Schoolhouse Rock until they can go home at 3:00.

In other news, Morehouse is declaring the backup quarterback battle over, with James Vandenberg as the winner:

Vandenberg is the No. 2 QB. During the two-minute drill, the No. 2 unit flopped badly. Vandenberg was given a second chance to make something happen, showing the reps aren’t even with him and Wienke.

As an untrained observer, I though Vandenberg looked far more game-ready, though both he and Wienke spent most of their time running from defensive linemen who had broken through the makeshift second-team offensive line. Also, despite a clear improvement in leg strength by Trent Mossbrucker, it looks like Daniel Murray's inexplicable Svengali-like hold on the placekicking job has held up through the summer. Ferentz mentioned after the practice that Mossbrucker might redshirt if he doesn't win the job, which would be smart.

Miscellaneous, et cetera, other. Dochterman provides some video (I took some pictures from the stands, but there's a reason why I'm not a photojournalist; my pictures show nothing). Bohnenkamp finds that the players are getting used to the field turf (which looks great). Amari Spievey is a sure thing. The other corner spot? Not so much. Jeremiha Hunter might as well be 40, because he's certainly a man.

Alcohol Fascism, Thy Name is Goldy. Minnesota really knows how to build atmosphere: Students with an alcohol-related offense will be Breathalyzed before being allowed into Legendary Historic TCF Bank Stadium (and, yeah, that's what we're going to call it from now on):

When the TCF Bank Stadium opens in less than two months, the University of Minnesota plans to implement a system to deter alcohol-related problems by administering breathalyzers to prior offenders.

The program, called "Check BAC" - as in blood alcohol content - is just one of the many steps the University and police are taking to prepare for the inevitable trouble that will come with bringing football back to campus. University police have been travelling around the Big Ten looking for advice on alcohol enforcement and traffic control to get ready.

Check BAC is modeled after a University of Wisconsin-Madison program. If a student is caught for underage consumption or ejected from the stadium for public intoxication, they are automatically enrolled in the program. If the student comes back to a game that same season, they will be required to provide a breath sample on a portable breath tester.

If they are underage and have alcohol in their system, they will not be allowed entry into the game. Even if they are of age, depending on their level on intoxication, they might not be admitted into the stadium.

As if it weren't enough, UM will also build gameday atmosphere by cracking down on the one thing that didn't exist at the Metrodome: tailgating. Fortunately, the Minnesota legislature (motto: "Thank God we got rid of Ventura") made sure they didn't go overboard:

The University has also created specific tailgating rules that outline where and how tailgating will be acceptable. Earlier this year the University went to the state Legislature hoping to gain authority to create and enforce their own criminal ordinances, which would allow University police to create specific laws that pertain to tailgating.

The bill was not passed, so any violations of the University's tailgating rules will be a civil matter and will involve the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity for University students.

Of course, these Draconian measures only apply to students attending Minnesota games. I'm sure both of them will be royally pissed.

Footnotes:

We aren't the only team with injuries: PSU wideout linebacker Pat Mike Mauti tore his ACL, leaving the Lions even lighter at receiver linebacker. Also, OSU-nee-Michigan lineman/resident crybaby douchebag Justin Boren was injured when he tried to force his giant neck into an undersized shirt and was struck in the eye by the flying top button (OK, I made the last part up, but he's hurt and that picture is ridiculous).
Clone Chronicles makes its predictions for the upcoming season. The conclusion?

But what do you expect when your "first opponent is a 1-AA cupcake" analysis draws HEY WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE YOU'RE IOWA STATE responses from the thriving North Dakota State online community?